Antarctica was definitely the most far-flung locale I’ve visited yet! It has been a dream of mine for years to visit all 7 continents, and I knew Antarctica was going to be the hard one. I had people laugh at my dream to visit the white continent, as if visiting Antarctica was as likely as visiting Mars. But it was totally doable! Here’s how I got there:

1. The Motivation: Antarctica had been one of those “someday” locations for me. Not on my immediate “to do” list because of the expense and my fear of the rough seas. It could have sat on the back burner of my mind for a lifetime, except that I decided I would try to visit all 7 continents before turning 30. The November 2017-March 2018 travel season of Antarctic summer was the only opportunity I had left if I wanted to achieve my goal, since I turned 30 in October 2018.  I postponed another trip I had planned, and went “all in” on my pursuit of the white continent.  Setting a time marker on goals is a great way to turn your dreams into actions. 

2. The Money: Visiting Antarctica is expensive! It will likely be the most expensive trip I ever take. I did some massive budgeting in the six months before my trip to come up with the money. I would constantly ask myself, “Do you want this more than Antarctica?” when I was at stores. In addition to living frugally, I picked up a bunch of extra shifts on my days off. Still, I had to make some compromises on this trip. I decided I didn’t need to spend the extra $1000 on kayaking or the $350 on camping. Daytime walks on land would be plenty. Also, I decided not to buy a nice camera for the trip. Although I wanted great photos, I came to the conclusion that it would be hard to take a bad photo of Antarctica, even with an average camera. I hoped I’d make friends with people with nice cameras, and that they would share their pictures with me. (My wish came true!)

3. The Research:  I like to be a little spontaneous when I travel, but this time I needed to plan! I was terrified of being unprepared in such a remote location. It was a relief to find out that it wouldn’t be so cold that my digital camera or smartphone wouldn’t work. So, I had pictures covered. The cruise was providing me with boots and a parka. I bought gear like I was boarding Noah’s Ark, instead of an Antarctic cruise: 2 pairs waterproof pants, 2 fleece jackets, 2 midweight base layer shirts and pants, 2 fleece track pants, 2 pairs thick gloves, 2 windproof beanies, 2 pairs polarized sunglasses. Add in a dry bag backpack, and I was set to go! I was torn between cruising the Drake Passage or flying it. On the one hand, I get seasick very easily and the Drake boasts some of the roughest waters in the world. On the other hand, I’m also a little afraid of flying. I would have to fly in some of the windiest weather on Earth and on runways which are shorter than standard length. I was leaning towards flying the Drake, since that would cut 4 days of travel time off my trip. However, the travel agent I spoke with said that flying trips are often weather delayed and cruising trips almost always leave on time. So that was that; I was going to sail the Drake.  My doctor prescribed me Scopolamine patches for seasickness.

4. Final Preparations:  I was told not to expect internet on the cruise, so I made sure all my bills were on automatic payment and I explained to my loved ones that they shouldn’t expect to hear anything from me for the duration of the cruise. I flew into the departure port, Ushuaia, Argentina, three days before my cruise. I had heard that regional flights in Argentina were often delayed, and I wasn’t taking any chances on missing my big trip! I settled into a hostel and explored the city. I could see giant cruise boats dock into port. Finally, the day before departure, I saw a blue and red ship with my tour company’s logo. It was time to go to Antarctica!